Tiltrotor Military Aircraft Land At Prescott Municipal Airport

TWO U.S.M.C. V-22 Osprey aircraft landed earlier this week at the Prescott Airport (KPRC). Tiltrotor aircraft have both vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and short takeoff and landing capability (STOL). The Osprey is manufactured by joint effort between Bell Helicopters and Boeing Helicopters and is unique for possessing both the ability to hover like a helicopter and cruise at high speeds like a turbo-prop airplane.

Development of the V-22 began in 1981 and first flew in flight testing trials in 1989. The U.S.M.C. started training flight crews in 2000 and began in-field operations in 2007. Since its deployment, the Osprey has been deployed in medevac and transportation ops over Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Kuwait.

The Osprey remained at the Prescott airport for approximately 45 minutes at the ERAU flight line to display the aircraft and answer questions of the public.

Guy Roginson is Co-Publisher of Specialized Publishing, parent company to Prescott eNews, Prescott Valley eNews, Chino Valley eNews, and eNewsAZ. The multimedia organization provides news, marketing and advertising services throughout Arizona and the U.S.